The Turkey Cafe is a building with a flamboyant Art Nouveau facade in Granby Street, Leicester, England. It was built in 1900 and is now a grade II listed building. The facade puns on two meanings of 'Turkey', with a vaguely Eastern exotic style of architecture and three large turkey birds on the facade, one sculpted on each side of the ground floor shopfront and another forming a large coloured panel of Royal Doulton tiles right at the top.
With its unique history and quirky facade, it was fun to transform into a drawing. I like the way the building is illuminated with a powerful street light at night, forming strong spot-lit areas as it glows in the evening darkness. Combining indian ink and watercolour helped this effect.
Leicester’s Curried Turkey
Pen & ink and watercolour, framed in light wood.
Framed size: 47.9 x 62.7cm